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| (New York Islanders) |
And I can even understand it if an Islander fan looks at this and says that I am kicking their team while it is down. But here is the point which is why is this team sitting in last place yet again?
Is this where we are supposed to cue up the "It is because the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is so crappy which is why the Islanders are losing" excuse? Maybe what really needs to be said is that the reason why the Islanders are sitting in last place is because of the person who owns the franchise.
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum has been a mess since way before Charles Wang purchased the franchise in 2000. Charles Wang knew when he purchased the Islanders that the NVMC was a mess otherwise why else did he try for over a decade to get a new one?
The other popular excuse used is how many millions that Charles Wang has lost since purchasing the Islanders. Sorry that will never cut it with me as I use the same thing I have said about the Rangers when they tried buying playoff spots,
It is not how much money you spend but rather how well you spend your money.
No offense to Garth Snow but turning over the franchise to a player who was on the active roster the day before he got the general manager's position is not a sound business decision. Before anyone goes what about Steve Yzerman he got 4 years of on the job training with the Detroit Red Wings before he took the Tampa job.
You can't have a front office that is lacking in experience as well as manpower and expect to build a winner on the ice to make you the revenue off the ice. The Islanders have had talent working for them in the front office but they keep chasing them away.
Mike Milbury really only did one smart thing during his time with the Islanders and that was convince Gordie Clark to leave Boston with him. When Milbury became GM who do you think did all the hard work?
It was this little known Assistant GM who was the guy who found guys like Charra, Luongo, Dumont, Connolly and even a current Ranger named Taylor Pyatt (yes Clark used a 1999 1st on him). Any wonder why Islander drafts went downhill in 2002 (which was the year Clark joined the Rangers)?
So when you are fed another dose of how much money that Charles Wang has lost ask him about the front office moves made on his watch. Better yet go to the Islander website and take a good hard look at the front office and I don't mean the GM and coaches.
Then pick an NHL team, any team you wish and compare the staff they have with what the Islanders have and then you tell me that we should feel sorry for Charles Wang's wallet.
The Islanders are bleeding Charles Wang's money not because the arena stinks but because the fans have been chased away by how this franchise has been run. I won't deny that Nassau County royally screwed up by chasing away the only major sports franchise they will ever have but there needs to be some accountability on the Islanders end too.
It is hard not to feel bad for the Islander fans when they miss the playoffs again after the 2011-2012 season and then watches the team uses all 7 of their draft picks on defenseman. Nobody among the scouting world would say it aloud but there were a lot of people shaking their heads trying to understand what the Islanders did.
What happens between now and the 2015-2016 season when the franchise does move to Brooklyn? I would love to see NHL commissioner Gary Bettman explain to the hockey world that the Islanders trade for Tim Thomas was made to improve the team.
Please Commissioner tell all of us how the Islanders in trading for Tim Thomas are going to make a serious effort into bring him to Long Island and playing for them. Why Commissioner isn't it your job to look out for the overall good health of the NHL?
If someone has an idea what exactly the Islanders are trying to do other than win the Seth Jones Sweepstakes please by all means tell me what I am not seeing. I look at the number of talented prospects that the Islanders have in Bridgeport as well as playing in North America and I see a promising future.
The question is a promising future for who the Islanders or for other NHL teams?
And Islander fans before start sending me hate email let me leave you one last thought and that is the Rangers and the Devils both win when there is a solid Islander team. The NHL wins when there is a solid Islander team and not what you see these days.
How many of you Islander fans can remember the last time the Islanders eliminated the Rangers in the playoffs? If the honest answer is you can't then let this "Ranger" fan tell you that as a teenager during the 1970's living in Queens that I could handle being eliminated by every NHL team except one.
Take a guess which team that is.
Game Action
Shane McColgan (NYR 2011 5th) and his Saskatoon Blades will tell you that they werethisclose to seeing their 8 game winning streak ended by the Swift Current Broncos. First there was a goal scored in the last 29 seconds of regulation that forced overtime.
Then there was Josh Nicholls scoring the only goal in the shootout and the Blades have a 9 game winning streak thanks to a 5-4 shootout win. So the team that was sitting in 8th place in the WHL's Eastern Conference less than 3 weeks ago will wake up on Wednesday morning in 1st place of the WHL's Central Division and in 2nd place of the WHL's Eastern Conference.
McColgan scored his 14th goal of the season in the 2nd period which at the time gave the Blades a 3-1 lead only to see that lead disappear thanks to 3 unanswered Swift Current goals. I seriously doubt the Blade's coaching staff will let them forget that part of the win either.
For McColgan, the goal extended his scoring streak to 5 games (3-3-6) and overall to 14-40-54. McColgan did miss on his shootout attempt so it wasn't a perfect night for him but when he wakes up in the AM it is doubtful he will care.
McColgan and his team are off until Friday when they head on the road for 2 quick road games before returning home on Monday.
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